do we need?
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“The Federal Reserve is refusing to identify the recipients of almost $2 trillion of emergency loans from American taxpayers or the troubled assets the central bank is accepting as collateral.
Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in September they would comply with congressional demands for transparency in a $700 billion bailout of the banking system. Two months later, as the Fed lends far more than that in separate rescue programs that didn't require approval by Congress, Americans have no idea where their money is going or what securities the banks are pledging in return.
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Non-Borrowed Reserves of Depository Institutions (BOBNONBR) went from -$187.305 billion in September to -$332.750 billion in October. That is a 77.65% increase in just one month or a 931.82% annualized increase. That is also 2.4% of GDP (2007). In plain simple English: Banks are insolvent as a group. The money coming out of the ATM is money borrowed from the Fed. Currently, there is no evidence at all that the health of banks is improving.
Total Borrowing (BORROW) and Non-Borrowed Reserves (BOBNONBR) have clearly blown past each other as the ponzi scheme that was the US financial system finally and suddenly unraveled. This is EXACTLY what happened in Japan. This is EXACTLY how Japan ‘liquefied’ it’s overleveraged, overextended and insolvent banks. Creating the infamous Japanese ‘zombie’ banks resulted in deflation and economic stagnation that is now referred to as the Lost Decade.
Total Borrowings (BORROW) can be broken down into its various sources. Discount Window Borrowings of Depository Institutions from the Federal Reserve (DISCBORR) are one such source. Discount Window Borrows went from $140.291 billion in September to $403.541 billion in October. That is a 187.65% increase in just one month or a 2251.75% annualized increase. Interestingly enough, the discount window wasn’t really tapped until September, with borrowings in August only being $18.078 billion. Clearly, this is a new source of funds for financial firms and may have to do with the fact that Bernanke has removed the negative stigma of tapping the window. He has also made almost everybody and his mamma eligible. Collateral requirements have also been severely degraded to the point where a dead donkey would probably qualify.
much more at link
http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h41/Current/Condition Statement of Federal Reserve Banks
Federal Reserve Statistical Release (13 Nov 2008)
Thanks to The King Report - As of Wednesday, the Fed holds $2.249 trillion of paper. This is an increase of $142.371 billion on the week and $1.3326 trillion year-to-year.
http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h41/Current/